Separable fastener.



D. BOUR SEPARABLE F QUE. ASTENEH.

APPLICATION man 1uLY2a.191`1.

Patented May 6, 1919.

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DAVID BOURQUE, 0F AMESBURY,:MASSACI-IUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO G. W. J'.MURPHY CO., 0F AMESBURY, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION. 0F MASSACHUSETTS.

SEPARABLE FASTENER.

Application filed July 28, 1917.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, Davie BOURQUE, a subjectof the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Amesbury, in the countyof Essex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invei'ited anImprovement in Separable Fasteners, of which the following. description,in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, likediameters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to separable fasteners and the more particularpurpose thereof is to provide a durable device which will act withunimpaired `efficiency for an indefinite' time.

My invention will best be understood by reference to the followingdescription of an embodiment thereof taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in sectionshowing a button fastener theconstruction of which embodies theprinciples of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same;`

Fig.`3 is a sectional detail illustrating the position of parts of theeyelet before the button member is `placed in position; and" Fig. 4 isasimilar view showing the position of parts when subjected to unduestrain.

All the views are considerably enlarged and are to an extentdiagrammatic as far as the dimensions and proportions of the parts areconcerned.

Referring now to Fig. 1, `I `have there shown my invention as embodiedin connection with a button fastener 5 and its coperating eyelet 7. Thebutton fastener may conveniently be of the kind shown in my Patent1,201,682, Uct. 17, 1916, and embodies a base 9, a body portion 11 and arotatable resiliently mounted head or button 13 which may be passedthrough the eyelet 7 and turned to traversing position as shown in Figs.1 and 2. The eyelet or female portion of the fastener is of generalelliptical form, as seen in Fig. 2, closely to encircle the body portion11 of the button fastener which enters the same..

Conveniently the eyelet may have a body portion 15 of generally channelshape and prongs 17 may project from the outer flange Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented May 6, 1919.

SeralNo.\183,232. y

side of the eyelet which may substantially close the opening of thechannel.

As described in my :3o-pending application, Serial No.` 1li-8,118, iiledF eb.` 12, V1917, objection has been made to button fasteners of thiskind because of their tendency to rattle, and in that application Idescribed means whereby the eyelet was made resiliently to grip thebodyof the button member so as to prevent such lost motion as would causerattling while at the same time a positive interlocking connection ofthe parts of the fastener by means of the head 13 was provided for. Theform of my 'invention herein illustrated is an improvement on the devicedescribed in the application referred to. As best seen in Fig. 2, I maysever the inner flange of the channel 15, preferably adjacent theextremities of the major axis of the aper` ture so that the eyelet has adiscontinuous inner surface including two long segments 23 and twocomparatively short or narrow segments 25, and the metal of the short ornarrow segmentsmay be bent or curled to form resilient tongues whichwill grip yieldably the `body portion 11 of the fastener when it isinserted in the eyelet. This feature will be better understood byreference to Figs. 3 and 1. In Fig. 3 I have illustrated the normalposition of thesegments 25 before the body 11 of the button fastenerenters therein. In that ligure the normal assembled position of the bodyof the fastener is indicated by the dotted line and it will be notedthat the line cuts the segment 25. Consequentlywhen the body of thefastener is placed in the eyelet, the segments 25 will be displaced tothe position shown in Fig. 1 and the body will be gripped between thetwo opposed segments.

Fasteners of this type are quite generally used upon vehicle curtainsAand are usually distributed around the edge thereof. Then the curtainis removed, the strain is not solely an outward one but as the curtainis usually pulled by the edge portion 27 (Fig. l), the spring segments25 will be forced outwardly farther than the normal position ofdisplacement shown in Fig. l. To prevent the segment from being undulystrained beyond the limit of its elasticity so as to acquire a permanentset, I provide abutment means which will receive and support the segmentbefore it passes its elastic limit. In the present embodiment of theinvention these abutment means are furnished by the inner washer 19. Bya proper design of the blank from which the eyelet is made the segmentsmay be made of sulhcient length s0 that when curled or bent their end-swill be presented adjacent the Washer in the manner illustrated in Figs.3 and 1. When unduly pressed outwardly, therefore, they will seatagainst the same in the manner shown in Fig. 4. In that gure I haveillustrated in dotted lines the position of the body portion 11 of thebutton part of the fastener as it appears in Fig. 1 and it will be notedthat the position in which the segment 25 abuts against the washer 19 isbeyond the norm-al position of displacement illustrated in Fig. 1,

but the parts are so designed that the washer will receive the segmentbefore it has passed the limit of its elasticity and therefore thelatter cannot be so strained as to acquire a permanent set but willalways return to its normal position illustrated in Fig. 3 in readinessyieldably to grip the male member 11 in the manner shown in Fig. 1.

From this description of a single embodiment of my invention it will beapparent that I have provided a device which will not get out of orderbecause of the careless handling which it will encounter in ordinary usebut, on the contrary, will preserve indefinitely practically unimpairedits original surety of action. It will be understood that I havedescribed in great detail the illustrated form of my invention in orderthat it might be more readily understood, but that I have done this witha descriptive rather than a definitive purpose. The particular detailsare not essential, what I do claim and desire to secure by LettersPatent being:

l. An eyelet for a fastening device comprising an annular channeled bodyhaving its interior iange severed to provide, one or more resilientlyyield-able segments and abutment means adjacent the mouth of the channeladapted and arranged to receive the ends of said segments on unduedis-placement thereof and beforeJ they have been strained beyond theirelastic limit.

2. An eyelet for a fastening device comprising an annular channeledbody, an annular Washer cooperating therewith for securing the eyelet ona supporting member, the inner flange of the channel having one or moreoutwardly yieldable spring segments the ends of which are presentingadjacent said washer to abut the same when unduly displaced and beforethey have been strained beyond their elastic limit.

3. A female member for a fastening device having one or more outwardlyyieldable resilient elasping portions 4and having abutment means toreceive said portions on excess displacement thereby and before theyhave been strainedI beyond their elastic limit, whereby to preventpermanent distortion.

4. An eyelet having an interior, discontinuous surface segmentalportions of which are bent to provide opposed resilient tongues and alsohaving abutment means to receive the ends of said tongues on excessdisplacement thereof and before they have been strained beyond theirelastic limit.

5. An element of a separable fastener having yieldable portions adaptedto be displaced along radial lines by a cooperating element, saidportions being resiliently yieldable beyond their positions ofdisplacement and abutment means for limiting such yielding effectivebefore such portions have been strained beyond their elastic limit.

6. In a fastener a male part having a body, an eyelet adapted toencircle said body having inwardly presented resilient portions adaptedto be outwardly displaced thereby, said portions being resilientlyyieldable beyond their positions of displacement and abutment means forlimiting such yielding ,effective before such portions have beenstrained beyond their elastic limit.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

DAVID BOURQUE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

y Washington, D. C.

